Friday, January 27, 2012

It was 60 degrees today in New York City. On January 27th. I guess we should all freak out about global warming now. Not so say 16 scientists who co-signed an op-ed in today's Wall Street Journal."In spite of a multidecade international campaign to enforce the message that increasing amounts of the "pollutant" carbon dioxide will destroy civilization, large numbers of scientists, many very prominent, [aren't so sure]. And the number of scientific "heretics" is growing with each passing year. The reason is a collection of stubborn scientific facts.Perhaps the most inconvenient fact is the lack of global warming for well over 10 years now."The lack of warming for more than a decade—indeed, the smaller-than-predicted warming over the 22 years since the U.N.'s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) began issuing projections—suggests that computer models have greatly exaggerated how much warming additional CO2 can cause. Faced with this embarrassment, those promoting alarm have shifted their drumbeat from warming to weather extremes, to enable anything unusual that happens in our chaotic climate to be ascribed to CO2. The fact is that CO2 is not a pollutant."

"Why is there so much passion about global warming, and why has the issue become so vexing that the American Physical Society, from which Dr. Giaever resigned a few months ago, refused the seemingly reasonable request by many of its members to remove the word "incontrovertible" from its description of a scientific issue? There are several reasons, but a good place to start is the old question "cui bono?" Or the modern update, "Follow the money."Alarmism over climate is of great benefit to many, providing government funding for academic research and a reason for government bureaucracies to grow. Alarmism also offers an excuse for governments to raise taxes, taxpayer-funded subsidies for businesses that understand how to work the political system, and a lure for big donations to charitable foundations promising to save the planet."

"Speaking for many scientists and engineers who have looked carefully and independently at the science of climate, we have a message to any candidate for public office: There is no compelling scientific argument for drastic action to "decarbonize" the world's economy. Even if one accepts the inflated climate forecasts of the IPCC, aggressive greenhouse-gas control policies are not justified economically.

Every candidate should support rational measures to protect and improve our environment, but it makes no sense at all to back expensive programs that divert resources from real needs and are based on alarming but untenable claims of "incontrovertible" evidence."

This pretty much sums up the stance that I and other rational people (without any scientific knowledge) have been saying for years. Yes global warming is real. But the extent of mankind's role in it was vastly overstated. And the alarming speed of global warming was really just a temporary acceleration when compared to one of the coldest periods in history, the 1970s.The global warming alarmists are moral narcissists who have some weird kind of Munchausen's Syndrome. They want the world to be sick, so they can be the one to make it get better.Maybe at the beginning of the movement scientists did have reason to believe their most dire predictions, and they sold Al Gore a bill of goods. But the evidence has changed. Only at this point it's too late. In for a penny, in for a pound. So we continue to waste money on green energy companies, grants to fund falsified research and promote a job-killing anti-business agenda to try to solve a problem that may not exist 50 or 100 years, if it exists at all.

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

In November 2008 Michelle Obama appeared on The Tonight Show and Jay Leno (in an obvious set-up) asked her how much her outfit cost. She said it was J. Crew and the liberal media went nuts, praising the First Lady for being an everywoman, for shopping where you shop and still being the “Commander in Chic.”

Fast forward to 2012, the State of the Union Address. Here’s what people.com wrote about the First Lady’s dress: “As the President declared his intent to help buoy the 99%, his wife dazzled in a cobalt sheath from Barbara Tfank’s resort collection. While reps for the brand won’t reveal the item’s retail price, a similar style from the collection is currently available at Barney’s New York for $2,400.”

I don’t have a problem with Michelle Obama wearing fancy clothes. I really don’t. My problem is the liberal media who tried to make her out to be a normal woman who had no use for the expensive things her no celebrity would provide her.

Vogue called her “the First Lady the World’s Been Waiting For.” No she isn’t. She is a greedy pig just like every other politician, politician’s wife and celebrity. They will take whatever they can get their hands on. Michelle Obama is not like you and me. And she probably hasn’t worn J Crew once since that stunt on the Tonight Show.

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

This Hanukah we broke Mama Poop's heart. We told her no more singing bears. We hate stuffed animals of any kind because they are useless, never get played with and take up a lot of space. That goes double for stuffed animals that play a song when a tail, foot or paw is squeezed. Unfortunately those actually do get played with. And all at the same time. And since there is a dearth of Hanukkah songs they all play "Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel."Watch the video and I am sure you will understand why we put an end to Mama Poop's short-lived tradition of buying a new singing bear every year.

What a fantastic cameo from Chase. He jumps in, screams nonsense and slaps Julian in the face.

This is what Penn State alumni should be saying about the death of Joe Paterno:

"For many years Joe Paterno was a shining light in the Penn State community. His old-school work ethic and folksy charm transformed the university to a national power in athletics and education. Late last year we learned that Paterno was hiding a terrible secret. The man who was once his top assistant, Jerry Sandusky, was molesting young boys for years under Paterno's nose.We know Sandusky molested boys in the locker room. We know there was a 1998 police investigation into the matter, but no charges were ever filed. We know Paterno was told about a sexual encounter between Sandusky and a young boy in 2002. We know Paterno reported the incident to his supervisors but never followed up on the matter.We don't know, and we will never know, exactly what Paterno knew, thought or suspected about Jerry Sandusky. But even our most conservative assumptions lead us to believe that Paterno fell far short of the moral standards he helped set is in his 50 years at Penn State.By all accounts he was a kind, charitable, good and decent man. He lived his whole life with dignity. But because of what he failed to do in this case, he dies in shame."

Monday, January 23, 2012

It's Better To Be Lucky Than GoodThe Helmet Catch. The Tuck Rule. The Hail Mary last week. Now the Miss and the Fumble. The Giants and Patriots have gotten this far because they have a lot of good players and they are playing well. But over the years these two teams have also gotten incredibly lucky. At least the Patriots have had exceptional records and home games in the years they’ve made the playoffs. This is the second straight Super Bowl run by the Giants during a season in which they lost at least 6 games and then got hot (lucky!) during the playoffs.

Defense Wins Championships, Turnovers Lose Games I still stand by the premise that good defense is required to win during the playoffs. Though both winning teams are better on offense than their vanquished foes, both sides played strong defense, especially when it mattered. Vince Wilfork was an absolute beast for the Patriots in the middle, with a sack and 3 tackles for loss. And the Giants stoned the 49ers on 3 crucial late game possessions each of which could have resulted in a game-winning field goal.

Patriots Killer, LiterallyIf there is one name that strikes fear in the hearts of the New England Patriots it is Bernard Pollard. Pollard, then on the Kanas City Chiefs, is the guy whose hit tore Tom Brady’s ACL on the first play of the 2008 season. A year later while playing for the Texans, Pollard dragged down Wes Welker, injuring his knee. Now on the Baltimore Ravens, Pollard tackled Rob Gronkowski and rolled over his ankle. Gronk was able to return, though he didn’t catch any passes after the injury, and he is expected to play in the Super Bowl.But maybe the biggest atrocity committed by Pollard is his famous locker room dance from Hard Knocks.

I Want WinnersIn 2008 Vernon Davis caught a short pass and then slapped the defender, Rhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifeissberg’s roommate Brian Russell in the facemask. For that he was given a 15-yard penalty. When Coach Mike Singletary yelled at him on the sidelines, Davis’s reaction was “nonchalant.” That led Singletary to banish him to the locker room and unleash this postgame tirade.

Four years later we’ve heard tons of stories about how Singletary’s tough love actually helped Davis, grow and mature into a great teammate, to match his substantial physical abilities. Evidently that didn’t happen. First, Davis got a 15-yard penalty for excessive celebration for climbing up on the TV camera stand after a touchdown. And later he got 15 more yards for hitting someone from behind and shoving someone during a scuffle.

I am always saying that I would rather have talented individuals with bad attitudes as opposed to tightasses who lack skill. But at a certain point, a player like Davis has to learn to control himself or he really does become a detriment to his team.

A Year Too LateEli Manning threw for 4,933 yards this season. If he had done that last year, it would have been 3rd all-time. Instead he was 4th. This season! Regardless of how this turns out Eli has established himself as an elite quarterback this season. And it goes beyond numbers. He is a guy you want to have the ball in the 4th quarter with the game on the line, maybe more so than his brother. He will never pass Peyton in terms of statistical excellence. But he can play Joe Montana to Manning’s Marino if he gets another Super Bowl ring.

Picture of the WeekI like the composition of this photo. A wide shot, ball floating in air, right between two defenders. The lighting is perfect too.

If the Super Bowl Were Played TodayNew England Patriots 34 New York Giants 27How long can the Giants keep getting this lucky? Yes, I know they are playing well, but they've now won 5 elimination games in a row. Eventually something has to go against them. Plus the Patriots are a very strong team whose defense is peaking at the right time. I understand the Giants and Eli Manning are worlds ahead of Flacco and the Ravens and especially Tebow and the Broncos. But the luck stops here. Patriots get revenge and win Super Bowl XLVI.

Sunday, January 22, 2012

This season has been so bad I don't even want to continue making these picks. I just can't seem to get a game right.This week I am picking both games as one. I am going to go with defense over offense. I started the playoffs by thinking the Ravens could upset the Patriots. And now I am sticking with that. And even though the Giants are playing great and calling to mind the 2008 playoffs, I am sticking with the better defensive teams to pull through on Championship Sunday. Even in the Year of the Quarterback, defense wins championships.